7-month heavy rainfalls beat 2-year drought: IMO official

TEHRAN – Director of National Drought Warning and Monitoring Center (NDWMC) affiliated to Iran’s Meteorological Organization (IMO) Sadeq Ziaeian announced that since the beginning of current water year (starting on September 23, 2018) precipitations have compensated for the below normal averages of past two years.

After deluge Helmand River springs back to life

TEHRAN — After 18 years of dryness the almost dead Helmand River returned to life following recent torrential rainfalls, YJC reported on Saturday.

Wetter-than-normal year not to make up for prolonged drought

TEHRAN – Hassan Sasani, an official with Isfahan regional water company, emphasized the urgency to tackle water scarcity in central parts of the country, noting that longstanding drought will not be eased by a year of above-normal precipitations.

Recent rainfalls filled 70% of dams, restore drained wetlands: minister

TEHRAN — Recent heavy rainfalls in Iran has filled 70 percent of dams and resulted in restoration of drained wetlands across the country, Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian has said.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Massive water transfer projects not to ease acute shortages but cripple ecosystems

TEHRAN – Water transfer schemes looking attractive to many of those residing in drought-stricken central Iran worried about drought, not only does not eliminate water scarcity, but inevitably involves polluting the environment along with damaging agriculture, people’s fragile source of income.

‘Water transfer from Caspian Sea not economically justifiable’

TEHRAN – Water transfer from the Caspian Sea in northern Iran to the drought-stricken central provinces brings heavy economic burden to the country, regardless of posing probable damages to the environment, former deputy Department of Environment (DOE) chief has said.

Water drenches 18,000 ha of Hamoun-e Sabori wetland

TEHRAN – Hamoun-e Sabori wetland on the Iran-Afghanistan border has been saturated, as rainwater flowed over 18,000 hectares of the wetland, Mohammad Reza Alimoradi, head of marine affairs at the Sistan-Baluchestan provincial department of environment has announced.

Climate change rises wind erosion by 30% in Iran: official

TEHRAN — Climate change, coupled with lower precipitations and wetlands’ dryness have brought about 30-percent rise in wind erosion in the country, director general of the deserts office at the Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization has said.

97% of Iran affected by long-term drought: expert

TEHRAN — Based on the dada collected over the past decade approximately 97 percent of the country is affected by long-term drought, director of the national drought warning and monitoring center, Sadeq Ziaeian, has said.

By Maryam Qarehgozlou  

Will cloud seeding cause a blast of moisture in drought-stricken areas? 

TEHRAN — Cloud seeding projects are planned to get off the ground in 10 provinces of Iran in a collaborative attempt between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force (IRGC AF) and the National Cloud Seeding Research Center within the next few weeks.

Govt. allots $3.5m to combat drought in protected areas

TEHRAN — The cabinet of ministers has approved a budget of 150 billion rials (nearly $3.5 million) to fight drought and reduce its adverse effects in protected areas, the budget office director of the Department of Environment (DOE) has said.

‘Climate change main cause of recurrent droughts in Iran’

TEHRAN - Climatic change along with changes in precipitation patterns are the main reasons behind recurrent droughts haunting different parts of the country, head of National Disaster Management Organization has said.

Water solicitation for drought-ridden Sistan-Baluchestan to ease water stress

TEHRAN — With Hamoun wetland drained of water and the rainless sky in southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan many are in dire need of drinking water.

Negotiating Hamoun water right, only way for Sistan to survive: report

TEHRAN – As long as sand and dust storms (SDSs) severely threatens the lives of people and affects many sectors of agriculture, livestock and industry in Sistan region, southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, the only way to halt the impacts is to negotiate with Afghanistan on granting the water right of Hamoun wetland, IRNA reported on Monday.

Iran supports knowledge-based companies dealing with environmental issues

TEHRAN – The science and technology vice presidency supports knowledge-based companies which are dealing with water crisis and environmental issues as they transform technology from universities and research centers to projects, said an official at the science and technology vice presidency.

Drought threatens wildlife in central Iran

TEHRAN -- Over the past few years, the number of wildlife species has declined due to the drought in central areas of Iran, Hamid Zohrabi, deputy environment chief for natural environment has said.

Iran mulls over water transfer from Sea of Oman to drought-ridden provinces

TEHRAN — Iran is weighing up the option of transferring water from Sea of Oman to drought-ridden provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan, Hormozgan and Khorasan Razavi, deputy head of the Department of Environment (DOE) for marine affairs has said.

Working group set up to fight SDSs in Tehran

TEHRAN – A special working group has been formed to combat sand and dust storms (SDSs) hitting Tehran province, said the provincial department of environment’s deputy director for monitoring and supervision affairs.

Iran in pursuit of karst water resources

TEHRAN – Iranian authorities are going to study some regions across the country which have high potentials for having karst aquifers and determine the possibility of exploiting such groundwater resources.

18 wetlands totally drained in Iran: deputy environment chief

TEHRAN — Some 18 wetlands in Iran are completely dried up and some 24 are in critical condition, deputy chief of the Department of Environment, Masoud Tajrishi, has said.

Water shortage “serious”, says environment chief

TEHRAN – The country is facing a serious water shortage, said Isa Kalantari, the chief of the Department of Environment.

By M.A. Saki

Water conservation is a must not a choice

The Supreme Council of Water regularly holds sessions. It held its latest meeting on Feb. 5. The session, chaired by Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri, was attended by the ministers of energy, agriculture, industry, and director of the Environmental Protection Organization.

Spring rainfalls to exceed normal average: academic

TEHRAN – Meteorological patterns demonstrate that the country will receive appropriate amounts of rainfall in the upcoming spring and it will compensate for the lack of precipitation in autumn and winter, said the eminent meteorology professor Hossein Ardakani.

Believe it, we are water-bankrupt, says deputy environment chief

TEHRAN – “I don’t know how to put this into words: we are living in a dry region, we are water-bankrupt and we should change our water consumption pattern accordingly,” deputy environment chief for human environment has said.

Why Iran is facing decreased rainfall?

TEHRAN — It is all over the news in Iranian media. Iran is unprecedentedly suffering from low precipitation and experiencing a prolonged drought.

Special working group to study reviving Zayanderud river

TEHRAN – A special working group tasked with studying ways for reviving Zayanderud river and also addressing Isfahan province’s water shortage will be established by Ministry of Energy, IRIB reported on Wednesday.

96% of Iran experiencing prolonged drought: official

TEHRAN – Nearly 96 percent of Iran’s total area is suffering from different levels of prolonged drought, the director for drought and crisis management department of Iran’s Meteorological Organization said.